Individual lessons are available to music majors wishing to increase technical mastery, deepen expression and build repertoire. All majors appear in at least two solo performances a year, and upper level students complete solo recitals. Other performance opportunities include the Gold Medal Competition and chamber music, including trombone trios and quartets, and mixed brass quintets.

A Lively Community of Learners

Studio Class is a focus of activity for low brass students. Meetings include a mix of ensemble rehearsals, solo and chamber group performances, presentations on topics of interests, and guest appearances. The Trombone Ensemble appears regularly on campus.

Guest artists are brought to campus for solo performances and to work with students in master classes and lessons. Recent guest artists have included:

Timothy Howe – Professor of Trombone, University of Missouri, Columbia

In addition, many outstanding jazz trombonists have been featured at the annual Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Fest. Past artists have included Conrad Herwig, Wycliffe Gordon, Slide Hampton, Bill Watrous, Carl Fontana, John Fedchock, and Joey Sellers.

Looking to the Future

Low Brass musicians from Truman have one on to advanced study at some of the most prestigious music institutions in the United States, including Eastman School of Music, Aspen Music Festival, DePauw University, Indiana University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Arizona State University, and University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

They have found professional employment in the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West, The United States Air Force Academy Band, the Tacoma Symphony, the Spokane Symphony, the Cornish Institute of the Arts, and the Axiom Brass Quintet.

News

On Saturday, April 18th seven Truman clarinet students traveled with Dr. Jesse Krebs to Lincoln, Nebraska to participate in the 2015 Midwest ClariFest: Taeyeong Jung, Joelle Beusterien, Cory Hogan, Timothy Clasby, Meranda Dooley, Brianna Broach, and Andrew Wolf. Freshman music major Meranda Dooley was selected to perform in a morning master class with the featured […]

Congratulations to Truman music alumnus Katharine Scharff (B.A. ’13), who has just been hired by the Haynes Flute Company in Boston, MA as a flute craftsman. Katharine is currently completing her post-undergraduate work at Redwind Technical College as a woodwind repair technician, and she has already been employed by Haynes before she even graduated!